Decomposing Complex Practice: Examining Design Methodology and Tensions

• In Event: Research-Practice Partnerships for Implementation and Scale-Up

Abstract

While research identifies broad forms of effective principal practice, there is a lack of specification of those forms of practice so that they might become learnable. We examine one Research-Practice Partnership’s design-based approach to decomposing principal practice as part of a broader effort to support mathematics instructional improvement at scale. Rather than identify what was specified about principal practice, we examine the process by which the RPP engaged in decomposing principal practice. Findings describe how conjectures about principal practice evolved over time and the design activities, forms of expertise, and design tensions that shaped the process. The study contributes theory to inform other efforts to decompose complex forms of practice so as to support learning and improvement across school systems.

Authors

• Alison Fox, University of Washington - Seattle

• Elham Kazemi, University of Washington